Poetry

Affirmation

to youth living in prison

after Assata Shakur

Speak this to yourself

until you know it is true.

I believe that I woke up today

and my lungs were working,

miraculously,

my voice can sing and murmur and ask,

miraculously.

My hands may shake, but they can hold

me, or another.

My blood still carries the gifts of the air

from my heart to my brain,

miraculously.

Put a finger to my wrist or my temple

And feel it: I am magic. Life

and all its good and bad and ugly things

scary things which I would like to forget

beautiful things which I would like to remember

-- the whole messy lovely true story of myself

pulses within me.

I believe that the sun shines

if not here, then somewhere.

Somewhere it rains,

and things will grow green and wonderful.

Somewhere inside me, too, it rains,

and things will grow green and wonderful.

Sometimes my insides rain from the inside out.

And then I know

I am alive

I am alive

I am alive

--- Eve L. Ewing